Vance Slams Zelensky’s “Absurd” Comments, Fueling Ukraine Aid Debate

Vice President JD Vance has publicly criticized Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky’s recent remarks made during a “60 Minutes” interview, labeling them “absurd” and “not productive” for discussions regarding the ongoing war in Ukraine, Fox News reports.

Zelensky, during the CBS interview, referenced an explosive Oval Office meeting in February involving himself, President Donald Trump, and Vance. He claimed that “Russian narratives” were “prevailing” in the room and suggested Vance was defending Russia, describing it as a “shift in reality.”

Vance responded to Zelensky’s assertions in an interview with the British site UnHerd, stating:

“I think it’s sort of absurd for Zelensky to tell the [American] government, which is currently keeping his entire government and war effort together, that we are somehow on the side of the Russians.”

He further called Zelensky’s rhetoric “certainly not productive.”

The Vice President defended his position, citing his past condemnations of Russia and emphasizing the need for strategic understanding to resolve the conflict.

“I’ve also tried to apply strategic recognition that if you want to end the conflict, you have to try to understand where both the Russians and the Ukrainians see their strategic objectives,” Vance explained. “That doesn’t mean you morally support the Russian cause, or that you support the full-scale invasion, but you do have to try to understand what are their strategic red lines.”

Vance’s press secretary, Taylor Van Kirk, echoed this sentiment in a statement to the news outlet, stating that Zelensky should focus on “bringing this conflict to a peaceful conclusion” rather than “mischaracterizing” the Vice President’s rhetoric.